Bison on the move again

Photo still from a film shown at Rocky Mountain House National Historic site

Native to North America, enormous herds of bison roamed the prairies until the nineteenth century. Aboriginal tribes depended on these huge animals — hunting them for food, clothing and shelter, and more. The coming of the Europeans disrupted that ecology, as they settled and fenced the prairies. Once so numerous, the bison were decimated. In a few short years, they were in danger of extinction. Just in time, efforts were launched to bring up the numbers and return the animals to some of their original ranges.

Elk Island Park near Edmonton was established in 1913 to provide long-term habitat for the elk whose numbers and range were even then rapidly diminishing. Today it is known primarily as a sanctuary for Plains bison, and also supports Woodland bison, who occupy the territory on the other side of the road. Motorists entering the park cross cattle guards that discourage the animals from wandering onto the highway. Otherwise they are free to roam, and can often be seen grazing close to the road.

These animals are not fed by humans, but subsist on the natural vegetation the 194-square-kilometres of parkland provides. This space, however, only allows grazing for a limited number of bison. When it gets too crowded, animals are transported to other protected areas in Canada and the US where conservationists are working to re-establish and increase populations.

Today Alberta is once again home to herds of wild bison. Waterton Lakes Park has a bison paddock, and so does Rocky Mountain House. In 2019, wild bison were re-introduced to Banff National Park. One animal, however, left the herd and the park to wander eastward near agricultural areas, and ended up being relocated by Parks personnel. The picture above shows Parks Canada trucks transporting bison to new ranges.

Saskatchewan’s Buffalo Pound Provincial Park near Moose Jaw is also home to a herd of bison. Manitoba’s Chitek Lake is home to a wild herd of wood bison. In the Northwest Territories, motorists travelling between Hay River and Yellowknife are warned of the possible presence of bison on the road near the territorial capital.